29-yr-Old Cobbler Sentenced To Life Imprisonment For Raping Minor In Osun

By opeyemi BELLO

An Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo presided over by Honourable justice Olayinka Ayoola today sentenced a 29 year old Tunde Olapade to life imprisonment for rape.

The convict, Tunde Olapade was charged with a 3 (three) count charge of rape, indecent Assault and defilement contrary to sections 358, 360 and 218 of criminal code law, Cap.34, volume 11 Laws of Osun State, 2002, respectively.

The prosecuting counsel from the Ministry of Justice Barrister Mosunmola Ogunkola, a Principal State Counsel, told the court that the convict committed the offence on 5th day of October, 2012 against a 7 years girl, name withheld whose parents were his neighbour as at the time of the commission of the offence. The girl claimed that when she saw the convict, she was playing in front of her house with her younger sister when he called her, greeted her, and in reply he held the hand of the little girl and took her to a public toilet behind the house and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her.

Convict committed the offence at owode area Igbona, Osogbo.

The victim stated further that the convict threatened her not to tell her mother and if she did, her mother would beat her seriously.

On 6th October, 2012, her mother Mrs. Sadiat Adejumo asked her daughter why she couldn’t sit very well while performing ablution, the daughter expressed her ordeal to her mother, with the hazardous attitude of Tunde Olapade.

Defendant Counsel Barrister T.S Adegboyegba in his Address told the Court that convict was innocent to the three counts of the charge and urge the court to discharge him and acquit on all the counts. But this was opposed by prosecuting counsel Ogunkola who called 6 (six) withnesses altogether during the trial.

In her evidence before the court, the victim told the court that “she knows Tunde Olapade, he is a shoe maker and we mend our shoes there and we grind papper in his mummy’s shop. I was outside playing with my younger one and he held my hand and took me to our backyard. He covered my mouth and inserted his penis into my vagina”.

Prosecuting counsel also informed the Court that one of the prosecution withnesses Dr. Femi Ala a medical expert, consultant Gynecologist from the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, now UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital Osogbo told the court that “the systemic examination carried out on her revealed a prolapse or profusion of her vaginal wall with a darkened area of tissue necrosis which is suggestive of sexual assault.”

Judgement was delivered by Hon. Justice Olayinka Ayoola and she stated that the prosecution has proved his case beyond a reasonable doubt thereby found Tunde Olapade guilty of the three counts charge preferred against him and he was sentenced to life imprisonment.